39. Silver of the Urals—Raven?
Arc City, Gray Serpent's stronghold.
Clang————
Amidst the clashing of metal and the sound of tearing steel, one mechanical armor after another was completely shattered by sweeping blades of light.
Raiden Mei tightened her grip on the high-frequency cutter gifted by Anti-Entropy, brushed off the metal shards clinging to her crimson-red "Assault" armored dress, and continued deeper into the stronghold.
These Titan Armors, Thunderclap Armors, and Arachnid Armors were all modified from Anti-Entropy's designs, each bearing the Ouroboros emblem of the World Serpent.
This blatant plagiarism infuriated Tesla, an executor of Anti-Entropy, who swore to blow up the copycat bastards and launch them into space in a Silver Bullet—she probably meant it.
"Kiana... where are you?"
Raiden Mei couldn't help but sigh, thinking of the friend she had met at Senba Academy, with whom she had shared so many beautiful moments.
From the honkai-stricken Nagazora City, and even at St. Freya Academy, Kiana had always been by Mei's side, lifting her spirits with her energy and warmth during times of despair.
She was so bright, so confident, as if no difficulty could stand in her way.
And it wasn't until recently that Mei realized even the strong, cheerful Kiana had her breaking point.
When the very reason she fought for was utterly denied, she transformed, in despair, into a true catastrophe—
The Herrscher of the Void. Against her absolute power, Mei could do nothing but watch helplessly as despair, destruction, and sacrifice unfolded…
Since then, Kiana's whereabouts had become nearly untraceable. Only recently did information about her surface on the dark net, disseminated by an intelligence dealer called Gray Serpent.
Upon receiving the news, the Hyperion immediately set out, but they were still a step too late. By the time Mei and the others found Gray Serpent's location, it had already been destroyed, leaving only an identification chip behind.
The reason it was termed "destroyed" was that Gray Serpent turned out to be merely a robot. The real Gray Serpent remained hidden behind the scenes, seemingly deliberately reigniting conflict between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy.
Coupled with the mech forces—far beyond what an ordinary intelligence dealer could afford—Mei vaguely sensed that, besides Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, a third force might be lurking in Arc City.
Nevertheless, finding Kiana remained the top priority.
Though aware that the identification chip had likely been left intentionally by whoever destroyed Gray Serpent, Mei decided to take the risk with Bronya and the school principal.
Soon, Mei reached the deepest part of the stronghold. After dispatching the last patrol armor, she opened the door of a modified shipping container.
Inside, she saw a little girl sitting crookedly in an office chair like a broken doll.
She had long emerald-green hair streaked with black highlights, appearing only seven or eight years old. Dense bundles of cables were connected to an interface at the back of her head.
Shortly after, Bronya—encased in pale-yellow armor and hovering in mid-air—arrived hurriedly with Theresa, who was dressed in a nun's habit.
"Gray Serpent copied all of Arc City's data. Manual screening could take days. This modified girl's brain is linked to a quantum computer. Gray Serpent used her as an indexing port for retrieving information. With her, we can quickly locate Kiana's whereabouts—"
Bronya's voice remained as detached as ever, but everyone could sense the urgency hidden beneath. A large robot materialized behind her and began deftly disconnecting the cables from the girl.
Soon freed from her restraints, the girl was immediately embraced by Mei.
"Mmm... where am I...?"
The data on the girl's visor faded, and she seemed to gradually wake up. Removing the dark mask from her face, she revealed a pair of deep, dark eyes.
Staring into those glistening black eyes, all three present were momentarily stunned. Bronya couldn't help but reach out and gently pat the girl's head.
"You have beautiful eyes. Don't worry, we're Gray Serpent's partners, here to pick you up. There's no need to be afraid."
Sensing Mei's embrace from behind, the girl obediently nodded, then buried her face in Mei's ample chest, as if feeling shy.
"Take me wherever you want, big sister. But searching for information requires payment. Without an access code, you won't get any relevant data... Besides, my defense mechanism is activating."
No one noticed the fleeting, faint smile curling at the corner of her lips.
"Theresa, a large number of Arc City's mechs have been hacked and are heading your way. It's definitely Gray Serpent's trap. Evacuate immediately with them to the Hyperion. We've dispatched a retrieval team."
Dr. Einstein's voice came through the communicator. The three nodded and swiftly made their way toward the extraction point.
Overwhelming numbers of mechs began clashing mid-air. Theresa deployed the Oath of Judah as Mei, holding the little girl, accelerated into a run. But she noticed Bronya slowing down—her twin spiral pigtails tied high swayed in the wind, and the colorful ribbons on them reflected the neon lights, dazzlingly bright.
"Bronya, hurry!"
"Mei-senpai, I'll hold off the enemies. Trust me, I'll catch up with you soon."
A honkai energy sniper rifle materialized in her hands as Bronya planted her exoskeleton-clad feet firmly on the ground. This time, she didn't just command her heavy mech, Project Bunny—she chose to fight alongside it.
"Don't forget—I am the Silver Wolf of the Urals."
——————
[Simulation Time: January 2012, Current Era]
[Simulation Location: Ural Mountains]
[Simulation Title: Raven, Silver Wolf, and the Sea]
[You are a mercenary, struggling to survive in the frozen lands of the north.]
[You spent your childhood in Siberia. Though orphaned, you survived with the help of villagers and grew close to the other children in your settlement.]
[During the Second Honkai Eruption, you were nearly killed by the Honkai, but a crimson petal saved you from the brink of death.]
[After the Second Honkai Eruption, although Cecilia Schariac's sacrifice successfully saved many residents of Siberia using the power of the "White Flower and Stagnant Blood," the subsequent Honkai energy aftershocks still triggered numerous Honkai incidents.]
[Although the ecological environment of Siberia gradually recovered under the repair of the Fourth Divine Key, the original national order was still disrupted. It became a lawless land teeming with fanatics and warlords, where battles and assassinations were commonplace.]
[You adopted the alias 'Zero' and began your mercenary career. With your exceptional skills, you earned the praise of many. Due to your own experiences, you also frequently helped children orphaned by the Honkai.]
[Recently, you accepted employment from an arms dealer named Cocolia to protect her from potential assassinations.]
[Cocolia is a ruthless warlord, but at the same time, she rescues a large number of Honkai orphans and child soldiers trained by the military government. She is an immensely complex person, but that's not your concern—her payment is generous enough.]
When Gao qi regained his senses and processed the memories in his mind, he found himself driving a jeep, speeding across a vast snowfield, followed by a convoy of several other jeeps.
Gao qi quickly steadied the steering wheel and glanced at the rearview mirror.
In the mirror, a woman in a dark green military coat, with long, wavy golden hair, sat casually in the back seat, leisurely watching the coniferous forest swiftly passing by on the snowfield.
She appeared to be in her thirties but carried the charm of a mature woman. Even though the car's heater wasn't on, she left the collar of her coat open, revealing a deep cleavage—unafraid of catching a cold.
Although this lady was beautiful, Gao qi couldn't help but inwardly scoff. In this simulation, why was he working for this vixen?
Cross-referencing the time and location provided by the simulator's prompts, Gao qi guessed what he was about to face next.
"Ms. Cocolia, I heard you were once an outstanding special forces soldier who thwarted several assassinations on your own. Why did you specifically hire me for this one?"
The journey was too boring, so Gao qi couldn't resist striking up a conversation with Cocolia. While she was a villain in the story, considering she successfully raised four—no, five—lovely waifu for him (in a sense), Gao qi decided to help her out.
"You talk too much, Mr. Zero. No wonder many employers have complained. Two fists can't fight off four hands. When your enemies realize ten people can't kill you, they'll send twenty, thirty."
Swinging her long legs clad in military boots, Cocolia's expression suddenly turned serious.
"They're here!"
However, before she could react, Gao qi's sharp senses as a MANTIS had already detected a bullet cutting through the air.
The system indicated that in most simulations, Gao qi could retain all his abilities unless the background or identity of the simulation made it impossible to maintain his role due to his power, or if his physical condition temporarily couldn't withstand it. In such cases, the system would temporarily suppress his abilities.
For example, if Gao qi were a test subject in Otto's lab in a future simulation, his unusual power would immediately draw attention, so he couldn't bring it along.
And if Gao qi's simulated timeframe placed him as a young child or an elderly person, his body absolutely couldn't handle the power of a MANTIS, so that part of his ability would be suppressed.
If he wanted to activate it, it was possible—just requiring a bit of time. However, Gao qi would also need to consider the subsequent costs and impacts.
But as an adult mercenary, Gao qi clearly didn't need to worry about this. Right now—he was in peak condition!
Vroom!
Stomping on the accelerator, Gao qi turned the steering wheel, causing the jeep to swerve erratically in a snake-like pattern, dodging a volley of gunfire from the woodland.
Faced with the sudden assassination attempt, Cocolia showed no sign of nervousness. Instead, she casually drew the pistol from her waist and gave Gao qi an order.
"Same rule as always: no killing children. Deal with the others however you want."
Hearing Cocolia's words, Gao qi shrugged. This was Cocolia. She would pay any price for her own children, though somewhat cruelly—those prices might be paid by other people's children.
"As you wish, Ms. Cocolia."
Taking two heavy, door-like metal riot shields from the side of the vehicle, Gao qi tossed one to Cocolia and, holding the other, got out of the car.
He actually wasn't afraid of the gunfire; ordinary bullets, even if they could penetrate a MANTIS's defenses, would heal quickly.
But as an "ordinary mercenary," Gao qi still had to keep up appearances.
Planting his feet firmly in the snow, kicking up a flurry of snowflakes, Gao qi charged toward the direction from which the assassin's bullet had come.
Clink, clank, clatter. As Gao qi approached, the accuracy of the gunfire decreased noticeably, becoming panicked. Only a few sniper shots remained calm and precise.
Cocolia's subordinates and other mercenaries returned fire, and soon, the assassins were wiped out in droves.
Meanwhile, Gao qi, upon entering the forest, immediately discarded his shield. His figure accelerated into a blur as he dashed toward the sniper's position.
If his guess was correct, that little darling who came to assassinate Cocolia and would ultimately be captured must be—
Snap!
A bullet whizzed past Gao qi's head, easily dodged. Finally, Gao qi closed in on the camouflaged sniper nest.
With the power of a MANTIS erupting, Gao qi appeared behind the sniper in an instant, pinning the petite girl beneath him.
Gao Qi's right hand effortlessly grasped both her wrists. With a mischievous grin, he gently lifted her camouflage cloak.
"Hello there, Silver Wolf of Urals—huh?"
However, beneath the cloak, Gao qi didn't see the little girl he expected. Instead, it was a young woman with gray hair and red eyes, her face filled with hostility.
"Raven?"
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?